Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) is the term used by the United States military and law enforcement agencies for maritime boarding actions and tactics, designed to capture enemy vessels, to combat terrorism, piracy and smuggling, and to conduct customs, safety and other inspections, as employed by modern navies, marine and maritime services, military and police forces.

The initial training continuum includes three courses lasting a total of eight weeks (SRF-A, SRF-B, VBSS), with some team members receiving additional follow-on training. Skills taught in VBSS training revolve around Close Quarters Battle (CQB). Training consists of proficiency in tactical movements and shooting, hand to hand offensive and defensive combat tactics, rappelling, searching, non-compliant combatant detention, and multitudes of other combat kinetic team and personal skills. Some units, known as Helicopter Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (HVBSS) teams have been trained to fast rope aboard vessels from helicopters.

All sailors in the Navy are eligible to serve aboard a VBSS team, but those who aspire to join a team have to be approved by their ships command. Being approved does not guarantee inclusion on a VBSS team, as it is possible and not uncommon for candidates to wash out of VBSS school. The attrition rate for VBSS is 25-30%, on average.

The backbone platoons and enablers are then married with the needed support assets for a particular mission, such as USN and USMC aircraft and small boats. Integral to the ARG/MEU construct, and bringing to bear the full range of ARG/MEU capabilities, the MRF is a conventional force that is capable of many 'SOF-like' missions, including opposed VBSS.

The U.S. Coast Guard is another service that commonly responds to VBSS scenarios. Law enforcement boarding teams from cutters and stations are generally armed with SIG P229 pistols, Remington M870P shotguns, and M16 rifles or currently the M-4 SOPMOD, specifically the MK 18. Additionally, the Coast Guard has a number of specialized units within its Deployable Operations Group that have advanced boarding capabilities.